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Wife wins fight to live with husband who beat her up

A woman from Wigton has won her legal fight to be allowed to live with her husband.

Nicola Meszaros was supposed to have had no contact from her 50-year-old husband Bela since last November when a judge banned him from going anywhere near her after he beat her up.

Because of the court order Mrs Meszaros, who used to live in the family home in King Street, had had virtually no contact with her husband for five months.

And although he had sometimes met her – always at her instigation – he was still officially prohibited under an indefinite restraining order from doing so. Since then she has been living with her mother.

But last month she stood in the witness box at Carlisle Crown Court to say she still loved her husband and wanted to resume married life with him.

The judge was not convinced and adjourned the hearing to obtain more information about Mrs Meszaros and her lifestyle, as well as a report from the probation service on what progress her husband had made since being given a suspended sentence for violence against her.

Pleas from the Meszaros to be allowed to live together were repeated back at the court yesterday.

Prosecuting counsel Greg Hoare said the police had visited Mrs Meszaros to make sure she really did want her husband back.

“The concern was that this was one of those cases in which although on the face of it a woman seems to take her husband back, the worry is that there might be a likelihood of more violence and perhaps she needs to protection regardless,” he said.

“The Crown has done what it can to find out what her true feelings are and it would seem she is firmly convinced of her decision.”

Judge Barbara Forrester agreed to cancel the restraining order, allowing the couple to resume normal married life. But she warned Meszaros the suspended sentence was still in force so he could go to jail if he caused any more trouble.

Meszaros was given an eight-month sentence, suspended for two years, in November after he admitted causing his wife actual bodily harm.